1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a scan solution system, in which, a paper document after being printed out, is managed in such a manner that, a connection with corresponding business is provided.
The present invention also relates to a scan solution system providing input assistance for inputting, from a paper document to a business system or such.
The present invention further relates to a scan solution system by which a business process carried out by a human being with the use of a paper document can be managed.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a general configuration of a business form management system for producing a business form. In FIG. 1, the business form management system previously produces a business form template (including layout information for items, and data set information for connecting to a data source and dynamically generating a data value therefrom) by means of an internal designer, and outputs a corresponding business form according to the business form template if necessary.
Patent documents 1 and 3 (listed below) disclose a configuration in which a barcode is attached to a document to be copied or transmitted via a copier or a facsimile machine, the barcode is read so that a copying requirement, a transmission destination or such, set by a user, may be easily set in the copier or the facsimile machine. Patent document 2 (also listed below) discloses an art for extracting a barcode printed on a document.
Although a business has been computerized or incorporated in a network environment in some business field, almost all the businesses have been still carried out based on paper documents, i.e., in such a manner that, a business form is mailed, transmitted via facsimile, a scanned image is attached to an electronic mail, or so.
A plurality of business forms handled in a business, although they relate to a common case, are physically independent documents, and thus, not by means of an electronic linkage but an operator should understand the linkage by himself of herself manually. Also, after that, in the following processing, the operator should input the same data to a computer again. Thus, troublesome operation may be still required. Further, a business form which has been sent, may then be modified, have information additionally written thereto, or so, by another person. In such a case, the operator should refer to the thus-returned business form with referring to a computer display, to input such data as that required due to the above-mentioned modification, adding the information or such made by the other person, to the computer. Thus, work efficiency may be degraded.
The inventor of the present invention proposed an art in Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-207652, in which an image of an identification code is attached to a business form, the business form is identified from the identification code when the business form is scanned by a scanner, so that corresponding stored data can be re-used. Also, in this art, layout information is used for each item included in the business form, the corresponding item part is excised from the scanned image of the business form, thus-excised image part is displayed as a reference image on a computer, and thus, input of modification, added information, or such, to the computer can be effectively aided.
FIG. 27 shows a page in which the above-mentioned reference image is displayed on the computer corresponding to the input item of the business form for inputting to a corresponding business system. When the input item z11 of an input form z1 shown is selected, the corresponding reference image z12 is displayed nearby, and also, a reference source indicating frame z21 is displayed in a scanning result displaying pane z2. FIG. 28 partially and magnifying shows page examples of display/not display states of this reference source indicating frame. FIG. 28 (a) shows a state in which the input item z11 of the input form z1 is not selected, while FIG. 28 (b) shows a state in which the input item z11 of the input form z1 is selected, and also, the reference image z12 and the reference source indicating frame z21 are displayed.
Recently, a system association has been able to be designed/managed, while the efficiency thereof being evaluated as a result of the association among various systems being designed and simulated. However, most of the systems, which can be thus designed, are such as those of automated services in the related art. Recently, also processing of such activities, as those for which human beings are involved, should be considered in this term.    Patent document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 11-119597;    Patent document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2004-303223; and    Patent document 3: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2004-343564